Over one hundred people attended the Wohl Enterprise Hub in Finchley this week, the home of leading employment and business support organisation Work Avenue, to expand and develop their professional networks as part of the annual Career Networking evening.
The event, now in its ninth year, organised by Work Avenue in partnership with UJS and leading global professional services firm BDO, offers students the opportunity to explore career options, make connections with people in their chosen sector and network with a wide range of professionals.
The event was fast-paced and dynamic, with over 30 sector professionals from a broad range of industries each with a packed schedule of mini-meetings. Companies represented on the evening included Bank of England, EY, Sky and HSBC, as well as a range of contemporary businesses including Facebook, Snapchat, Waze and Deliveroo.
Professionals and students alike were welcomed to the event with a drinks and buffet reception. Emma May, Ops Director at Work Avenue, opened the evening by welcoming everyone and by outlining some of the organisation’s key achievements from 2017 including support to 1495 employment clients and assisting 604 entrepreneurs with their businesses.
Statistics indicate that networking is a very powerful route into employment for students and recent graduates, and this is reflected by the ongoing popularity of the Career Networking evening. A number of students have already been offered additional interviews or work placements as a direct result of the event.
Tanya Burns from Facebook commentated on the vibrancy of the event and said: “This is an invaluable event for students. They were so energised and engaged and asked really thought-provoking questions. I am happy to do whatever I can to help.”
And the students were equally as enthused. Jessica Fishman, a second year geography student at Bristol University, commented: “I was thoroughly impressed by the variety of professionals and found their advice so helpful. I met some great people.”
Debbie Sheldon, CEO of Work Avenue, added: “It’s great to see the community coming together to help guide students’ future careers. We are very grateful for the support of all the companies and professionals who had a hand in its success. It’s particularly satisfying to see former students now become our career professionals, thus turning the wheel full circle.”